Power transfer apparatus
First Claim
Patent Images
1. The combination of:
- a source of DC power which may vary;
connections for a source of AC power;
a DC motor having an armature and a field winding;
power transfer means coupling said source to said motor for supplying current to the armature of said motor and for also supplying a voltage across the field winding of said motor, said power transfer means including means for adjusting the value of voltage;
an AC motor-generator connected to said connections for said source of AC power for receiving operating power therefrom, said motor-generator being mechanically coupled to said DC motor and being driven thereby; and
means responsive to a parameter indicative of the power supplied to said DC motor for controlling said means for adjusting in a sense to maximize said parameter.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A power transfer apparatus transfers electrical energy from a DC voltage source that may vary in potential, e.g., a solar cell array, to a load such as a DC motor connected to drive an AC motor-generator. A power transfer device couples the solar cells to the DC motor for driving the DC motor at a power level consistent with the power available from the array of solar cells. The AC motor is continuously connected to an AC line to be driven by conventional AC power. The DC motor, when operating, reduces the load on the AC motor and thereby reduces the AC power drawn or in some cases, causes the generator driven by the DC motor to return power to the AC line.
-
Citations
10 Claims
-
1. The combination of:
-
a source of DC power which may vary; connections for a source of AC power; a DC motor having an armature and a field winding; power transfer means coupling said source to said motor for supplying current to the armature of said motor and for also supplying a voltage across the field winding of said motor, said power transfer means including means for adjusting the value of voltage; an AC motor-generator connected to said connections for said source of AC power for receiving operating power therefrom, said motor-generator being mechanically coupled to said DC motor and being driven thereby; and means responsive to a parameter indicative of the power supplied to said DC motor for controlling said means for adjusting in a sense to maximize said parameter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A power transfer system comprising:
-
electrical energy generating means for generating electrical power from incident solar light, a DC motor, an AC induction motor having its drive shaft coupled to the DC motor drive shaft, means for coupling an AC power source to said induction motor for driving said AC motor in the absence of sufficient solar light, means for sensing the speed of said DC motor, and settable power transfer means coupled between said DC motor and said generating means responsive to said means for sensing speed for driving said DC motor at a maximum speed corresponding to any level of power then being generated by said generating means. - View Dependent Claims (8)
-
-
9. In combination:
-
an AC induction motor including input means for receiving AC power, a DC motor coupled to said AC motor, a main DC power source that may shift in voltage value, the armature of said DC motor being connected to said DC power source for producing armature current; a first auxiliary DC power source, means for alternately connecting said main power source and then said main and auxiliary power sources in series across the field winding of said DC motor to cyclically provide different armature speeds, a second auxiliary DC power source connected in series with said first auxiliary and main power sources, switch means for selectively connecting different portions of said second power source having different voltage levels in series with said first and main power sources across said field winding, Dc motor speed sense means for producing a signal representing said different speeds of said DC motor, and circuit means responsive to said signal including switch selection means for selecting a given portion of said second power source corresponding to a maximum armature speed of said DC motor for a given voltage level then at said main power source. - View Dependent Claims (10)
-
Specification